A review of Alfred McCoy’s The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia

by James Quigley

Background

In a recent conversation with a Member of the Board of Directors of the Air America
Association, he mentioned to me that the origin of the allegation that Air America had
been involved in drug trafficking was a book by Alfred McCoy entitled, The Politics of
Heroin in Southeast Asia. I was not familiar with the book, but resolved to read it. As it
happens I read two books by Alfred W. McCoy. The first, The Politics of Heroin in
Southeast Asia, was written by McCoy with two co-authors and published in 1972. The
1972 version of the book was revised in 2003 and published under the title: The Politics
of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia.

One week after our conversation, as if on cue, Mr. McCoy and the 2003 version of his
book was cited as a source by Larry Chin in an article written for the San Francisco
Chronicle, in which Mr. Chin asserted that “Air America was involved in various aspects
of the Indochinese war and clandestine operations, including (but not limited to) narcotics
trafficking,...”1 Four days later the BBC News Online carried a news report by Penny
Spiller under the headline, “Laos’ controversial exile” dealing with the recent arrest of
General Vang Pao. Ms. Spiller described Alfred McCoy as a “respected US historian.”2

Review and Commentary

The 2003 revised edition of Mr. McCoy’s book contains the following biographical data,
“Alfred W. McCoy is professor of Southeast Asian History at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. Educated at Columbia and Yale, he has spent the past thirty years
writing about Southeast Asian history and politics. The first edition of this book
published in 1972 as The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, sparked controversy, but is
now regarded as a “classic work” and has been translated into nine languages.” 3 After
reading the BBC’s description of Alfred McCoy as a “respected US historian” and the
biographical information contained in his 2003 book, a casual reader may be forgiven for
concluding that the original book, The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, published in
1972 was written by an experienced scholar, a professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Wrong. As he acknowledges in the Preface to the 2003 edition, Mr. McCoy wrote
original book, The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia when he was twenty five years of
age and in his second year at Yale Graduate School.4 Much of the research for the book
was performed “During spring break 1971...”5 In 1971, Mr. McCoy traveled to France to
interview French officers, about the opium trade during their Indochina War of the early
1950’s” 6

Mr. McCoy is candid as regards his leftist, liberal political orientation; he writes that after
returning from France, “I was back in New Haven at a street demonstration for Black
Panther leader Bobby Seale, where I met the beat-generation poet Allen Ginsberg. Over

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coffee at the bus station, he spun out a dark poetic version of CIA involvement in the
Southeast Asian heroin trade, one that he recorded a few months later in a wryly angry
poem, CIA Dope Calypso.”7 Mr. Ginsberg’s poem is quoted in the 1972 book The
Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia; it contains a derogatory reference to Air America
transporting drugs for Vietnamese President Thieu. Mr. McCoy states that he was
anxious to locate “an Australian named John Everingham, [who] was writing about CIA
helicopters carrying opium in Laos.”8 It is evident that Mr. McCoy, even before he
commenced to write The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, was predisposed to believe
that the CIA and Air America were guilty of participation in the drug trade. Mr.
McCoy’s mind-set in 1971 is not surprising. He had just completed his Masters degree,
(1968-1969) at the University of California at Berkeley9. The University of California at
Berkeley was a mecca for liberal anti-war protestors, hippies and the like during the
Vietnam War years.

In the Preface to the 2003 revised edition of his book, Mr. McCoy describes the
methodology he used to write the original version: “I started for Southeast Asia in the
summer of 1971. On the way I stopped in Washington, D.C. to interview the legendary
CIA operative Edward Lansdale...both Lansdale and his former CIA aide Lucien Conein
received me in their modest suburban homes and told me stories about drug trafficking
in Saigon by the French, the Corsicans, and intimates of President Ngo Dinh Diem.”10
McCoy arrived at Tan Son Nhut airport in July, 1971 and spent two weeks in Saigon after
which he flew to Vientiane, Laos where he located the Australian, John Everingham.
Together they traveled by taxi and truck rides to a “Yao hill tribe village near the peak of
a mile-high mountain. After a few days spent watching the women plant opium in the
valleys around the village, we trekked north ... to Long Pot village, a Hmong settlement
at the edge of the air war that spread east to the Plain of Jars.... Over the next five days,
we conducted our opium survey, door-to-door, at every house in the village. Do you
grow opium? Yes. After the harvest, how do you market the opium? We take it over that
hill, the farmers replied, and the American helicopters come with Hmong soldiers who
buy the opium and take it away in the helicopters to Long Tieng.”11

The interviews conducted by Mr. McCoy and John Everingham at Long Pot were by
means of a young Lao interpreter. The answers Mr. McCoy ascribes to the villagers were
actually those given to him by his interpreter, meaning he was receiving the information
‘second hand’. Furthermore, those of us who have lived in Asia for extended periods of
time are aware that Asians, to be polite, often tell a visiting Caucasian what they think he
wants to hear. Mr. McCoy writes that while at Long Pot he observed “a helicopter
marked “Air America” take off from Long Pot. He does not assert that the helicopter
transported opium.

McCoy was subsequently invited by Edgar ‘Pop’ Buell to join him on an Air America
helicopter flight to visit Sam Thong.12 This occasion is the only direct involvement Mr.
McCoy had with Air America during his brief sojourn in Laos. Again, he does not assert
that the Air America helicopter on which he rode with Pop Buell carried drugs.

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After approximately sixteen days in Laos, Mr. McCoy wrote: “By now I was certain that
the CIA’s Air America was transporting opium for its Hmong hill tribe allies. 13. Mr.
McCoy provides no corroboration or factual data to support this unfounded allegation.

Based on the dates and time durations provided in the Preface to the 2003 edition of his
book, it appears that Mr. McCoy spent approximately one month in Laos. He continued
his travels to northern Thailand, Rangoon and Singapore, returning to his classes at Yale
at the end of September, 1971, three months after he initially departed for France.

Back at Yale Mr. McCoy began to write The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. The
fledgling author concedes that he “had never written a book before. In fact I had never
written anything longer than a term paper.”14 Such are the qualifications of the author of
the book that subsequently has been praised as “a classic work”15

At the time of the publication of The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia the CIA’s
General Counsel, Lawrence R. Houston wrote to Harper & Row the book’s publishers.
Mr. Houston stated, “We believe we could demonstrate to you that a considerable
number of Mr. McCoy’s claims about this agency’s alleged involvement are totally false
and without foundation, a number are distorted beyond recognition and none is based on
convincing evidence.16

It appears from his own statements that Mr. McCoy was convinced of the CIA’s
involvement in the drug trade before he left the United States. He traveled to Southeast
Asia to find evidence that supported this predisposition; thus reversing the accepted
scholarly practice of first gathering data, analyzing the data, and then forming a
conclusion. Mr. McCoy reached the conclusion first and then sought data that would
support his predetermined supposition.

The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia begins with chapters describing the role of the
Sicilian Mafia and the significance of heroin laboratories in Marseilles. The author
articulates the French and British colonial policies that encouraged the cultivation of
opium. The core of the book is contained in four chapters that deal with the Cold War,
South Vietnam, Heroin traffic in Hong Kong and the significance of the Golden Triangle.
Civil Air Transport is mentioned four times, primarily having to do with CAT’s transport
of former KMT soldiers from Southeast Asia to Taiwan, e.g. “CAT flew another forty-five
hundred KMT troops to Taiwan. 17
The author refers to Air America twenty one times; the most serious allegations of drug
trafficking appear in two consecutive paragraphs on page 263. Mr. McCoy writes,
“Without air transport for their opium, the Meo faced economic ruin. There was simply
no form of air transport available in northern Laos except the CIA’s charter airline, Air
America. And according to several sources, Air America began flying opium from
mountain villages north and east of the Plain of Jars to Gen. Vang Pao’s headquarters at
Long Tieng.70” The author’s endnote number 70 states: “Interview with Gen. Ouane
Rattikone, Vientiane, Laos, September 1, 1971; interview with Gen. Thao Ma, Bangkok,
Thailand, September 17, 1971; Don A. Schanche, Mister Pop (New York: David McKay
Company, 1970), pp. 240-245.”

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In the next paragraph on page 263 the author continues, “Air America was known to be
flying Meo opium as late as 1971. Meo village leaders in the area west of the Plain of
Jars, for example, claim that their 1970 and 1971 opium harvests were bought up by
Vang Pao’s officers and flown to Long Tieng on Air America UH-1H helicopters ...71.

The corroboration for Mr. McCoy’s allegations that Air America was involved in the
drug trade is contained in the evidence presented in endnotes numbers 70 and 71.
Endnote 70 relies on verbal information given in one day interviews by two Royal Lao
Army generals, both of dubious integrity. General Ouane Rattikone admitted to McCoy
that he bought and sold opium for profit and used rented C-47’s from the civil aviation
companies and then dropped the opium into the Gulf of Siam.18 General Thao Ma was
forced to flee to Thailand after the failure of his coup d'état against the Royal Lao
government.19 Mr. McCoy also cites Don A. Schanche’s book, Mister Pop pp. 240-245
to support his allegation that Air America engaged in drug trafficking. Mr. Schanche
wrote: “The CIA apparently encouraged Lao opium farmers to resume their old business
and, since there simply is no other form of transportation in northeast Laos, arranged to
help them fly it out. Unfortunately, one can only speculate about this [Emphasis added
by reviewer] since like all its other activities in Laos and elsewhere the CIA’s role in Lao
opium smuggling, whatever it is, is a secret neither the agency nor the Lao traders who
presumably work at both ends of the chain will talk about.20

Mr. McCoy’s endnote number 71 states: “The authors visited Long Pot village in the
region west of the Plain of Jars in August 1971 and interviewed local officials, opium
farmers, and soldiers who confirmed Air America’s role in the local opium trade.” The
author spent five days in a single village, one of hundreds in Laos. He did not observe
Air America engaged in the transport of opium.

In the final analysis the corroboration of Mr. McCoy’s allegation that Air America
participated in the drug trade in Laos comes down to the contention of two Royal Lao
Army generals and a five day visit to one village, a visit in which the author did not
observe Air America transporting drugs.

Mr. McCoy admits that “... American officials in Laos vigorously deny that either Vang
Pao or Air America are in any way involved” in the drug trade. However, this callow
graduate student from Yale dismisses the denial as “pious assertions.” 21 Mr. McCoy
seems to have created a faulty syllogism as follows:
Opium is grown and exported from Laos,
The CIA is involved in a Secret War in Laos,
Therefore: The CIA is a participant in the opium trade

The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia contains no reference to the author’s having
interviewed anyone associated with Air America; not a pilot, not a mechanic, not a
manager – he spoke with no one from Air America.

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The revised edition of The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, published in 1972 is
entitled, The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan,
Southeast Asia, Central America, Columbia and was published in 2003. This latter book
contains added text, not included in the 1972 version. Mr. McCoy makes some stunning
charges in the 2003 book. He states. “...the Hmong had no real interest in winning the
war.22 And he compares the Central Intelligence Agency with the Gestapo, “But both
[CIA] divisions, Europe and Far East, were driven by the same radical pragmatism that
allied the OPC [CIA Office of Policy Coordination] with Gestapo officers or Corsican
gangsters in Western Europe and opium warlords in Southeast Asia.” 23 Mr. McCoy’s
virulent antipathy towards the Central Intelligence Agency borders on the irrational. As a
consequence his books, which begin as serious history, devolve into a polemic against the
CIA.

Conclusions

• Both The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia. Copyright 1972 and The
Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan,
Southeast Asia, Central America, Columbia. Copyright 2003, lack
intellectual honesty and objectivity,
• The allegations cited in these books that Air America knowingly engaged
in drug trafficking are false,
• At the conclusion of The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global
drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central America, Columbia.
Copyright 2003; notwithstanding his repeated assertions to the contrary;
Mr. McCoy acknowledges that the Church Committee of the United States
Senate concluded that there was “no substance” to “allegations that the
Agency’s proprietaries [Civil Air Transport and Air America] were
involved in drug trafficking.” 24

Those of us who were employed by Air America in Asia know what we did and we take
pride in those accomplishments. We also know what we did not do.

1
CIA-assisted plot to overthrow Laos government foiled; former Air America/CIA asset Vang Pao
arrested. By Larry Chin dated June 7, 2007. San Francisco Chronicle.

2
BBC News, Asia-Pacific. Article by Penny Spiller dated June 11, 2007.
3
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page 710.
4
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page ix.
5
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page ix.

5
6
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page ix.
7
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page x.
8
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xi.
9
Mr. McCoy’s complete resume is posted on the University of Wisconsin’s website:
http://history.wisc.edu/people/faculty/cv/mccoy_cv.pdf.
10
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xi.
11
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xv.
12
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xvi.
13
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xvi.
14
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page xix.

15
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page 710.

16
Quoted in a New York Times news article by Seymour M. Hersh dated July 22, 1972.
17
The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia Copyright 1972 by Alfred W. McCoy with Cathleen B. Read
and Leonard P. Adams II, pg. 134.
18
The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia Copyright 1972 by Alfred W. McCoy with Cathleen B. Read
and Leonard P. Adams II, pg. 260.
19
The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia Copyright 1972 by Alfred W. McCoy with Cathleen B. Read
and Leonard P. Adams II, pg. 295.
20
Don A. Schanche, Mister Pop (New York: David McKay Company, 1970), pg. 244.
21
The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia Copyright 1972 by Alfred W. McCoy with Cathleen B. Read
and Leonard P. Adams II, pg. 281.
22
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page 289
23
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central
America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page 167.
24
The Politics of Heroin: CIA complicity in the global drug trade, Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Central

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America, Columbia. Copyright 2003 by Alfred W. McCoy, page 386. Also see the Church Committee’s
Final Report, Book I, Section XI, pg. 205.

The author is the book review is James P. Quigley. He was born in Brooklyn, New York
and is a graduate of Villanova University. Mr. Quigley served in the Navy as a
Flight Navigator and joined Air America in 1965. He was employed by Air America in
various Flight Operations positions at Saigon, Vientiane, Taipei and Washington, DC;
until 1974. For the past nineteen years he has been self-employed as an Independent
Consultant.